I too love these tawashi(s) and have made many many of them for family and friends.I was given some of that old plastic fantastic "yarn" called phentex some time ago and wondered what to do with it. It is great for a dish cloth and the colours last. Apparently one person heated their tawashi up on purpose and of course it melts which then she used as a defoiler? spell that one? Thank you again it is so fun and so useful and makes good use of leftover yarn